This shameful attitude shown to
suffering children by Associate Health Minister Dunne should
show how seriously he takes the job and Mr Crawford called
for him to step down immediately.

The ALCP was distressed
to see Mr Dunne rejecting calls from parents and medical
professionals for the right to use medical marijuana
therapies where they have been shown to work
overseas.

“In New Zealand today otherwise normal,
law-abiding parents are choosing to break the law to get
medicinal cannabis for their children, with some even
emigrating so their children can receive medical cannabis
prescriptions,” Mr Crawford said.

“Does Mr Dunne not
understand that the chairman of the New Zealand Medical
Association, the Commissioner for Children and the Dean of
Health Sciences at AUT are among a host of professionals who
say we should have trials of medical cannabis?

“Does he
not understand that Canada has had medical marijuana for
years, and 22 American states now do the same, along with
countries around the world. Close at hand Norfolk Islands
has just announced licensing for a medical marijuana
industry, and political interest is also being shown in
Australia”.

Mr Crawford said the Aotearoa Legalise
Cannabis Party was strongly behind such groups as Mothers
for Medical Marijuana who are lobbying for medical cannabis
and the party policy provides for research scholarships and
clinical trials.

He said it was time Mr Dunne rejoined the
real world, or gave up gracefully and
retired.

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